NASA: Discovery of pure sulfur on Mars is the first of its kind

NASA announced this week the discovery of rocks made of pure sulfur on the Red Planet.

Yellow sulfur crystals have never been seen in their pure form on Mars before. Previous findings suggested sulfur-based minerals, or a mixture of sulfur and other materials, according to NASA.

The crystals were found by accident when NASA’s Curiosity rover broke a rock to expose the crystals, according to the space agency. The rover then found an entire field of what scientists believe were sulfur-laden rocks as well.

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“Finding a field of rocks made of pure sulfur is like finding an oasis in the desert,” said Ashwin Vasavada, a Curiosity project scientist from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.

“This shouldn’t be there, so now we have to explain it. Discovering strange and unexpected things is what makes planetary exploration so exciting,” she added.

The discovery could be evidence of liquid water at some point in Mars’ past. According to NASA, the crystals found in the Geddes Vallis channel may have been carved by water flows.

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NASA said Curiosity was launched in 2011 on a mission to find out if the Red Planet had an environment conducive to supporting microbial life. The rover is continuing its investigation by studying the planet’s rock record.